White Heaven
by Dread Wolves
Summary: Some things were meant to be lost to time but upon finding an ancient mask the newly crowned King slowly descends into madness. And though wholly inappropriate the King seeks his sister's comfort even in spite of her own destiny. But of course the return of ancient evils and taboo relationships are the least of their worries, naturally. [Logan x Princess / Eventually rated M.]
1. I

**I.** Beginnings

"Reality grew from the carcasses of an infinity of might-have-beens."

* * *

><p>It was a cold morning and it was wet.<p>

The sound of the rain made for a chilly hymn as it fell against the roof. There were plumes of wispy breathes that escaped the young prince's lips as he stood next to the cold window, the bitter feeling of icy air kissing at his cheeks. There was a sense of dread lingering with the dampness and it made him stand straighter. His father was dying and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

However this was not the only thing that had caused Logan grief. It sat on the table, carefully wrapped up in the color of royal blue silk, and it was a perplexing thing. He had found it upon his latest expedition and he knew from the moment his eyes lay upon it that it was a most curious thing that had _meant_ to be found. It was white adorned with red and gold, carefully crafted and preserved well. It was old, clearly, and it made for an even greater find. However that was just it: it was too remarkable to have just been laying there.

The prince made sure to keep his find a secret, or at least until he knew more about it. He had no time to take care of it though as within the days that had followed after its discovery he would return to his home to be at his father's side as he passed. With Albion's last greatest hero upon his death bed the need of a prince's attention was much greater than placed somewhere in an old book.

For now though he had a few moments to himself. He chose to spend it in his room as it was quiet and his thoughts needed to be collected. The prince could feel that his father's remaining time was short and his sister needed all that she could get. His sister, his lovely sister. She was a gentle thing, too pure for this world.

Shifting slightly the dark eyes moved from the bleak horizon of steam and steel towards the desk in which that peculiar thing lay. Logan was still, his gaze unwavering, and in that moment time itself slowed to a drawing halt. Even from beneath the brilliant blue he could see it and imagine it with crystal clear precision. It beckoned him closer, dared him to touch it, but he was smart and knew better than to give into temptation. Grace before subsistence, after all.

But then it was like a moth denying itself the grace of a flame. Without a conscious thought his body inched forward all the while as his eyes looked nowhere else. He could imagine that moment he found it as if it had just played out. A troll lay dead in the grass, the grotesque thing vanquished by his own hand, and with the summer wind the smell of its dark blood hot and heavy in the air. He hated those things and promised that all would be killed for safe travels. And it was by pure luck that he had seen that mask laying there glistening beneath the sun.

It was obviously no ordinary mask.

From behind his back his hand had reached outward, slowly but careful as if it were a trap. It was odd to imagine but there was a certain feeling behind it. He could almost feel the silk beneath his fingertips before a light knock at the door had made the room seem hollow.

"You may enter." The prince answered while quickly tossing a few papers overtop of it to conceal it. As he turned around the door creaked open, the sight of hazel eyes catching his own. The soldier stared at him for a brief moment before being promoted to speak.

"Forgive the intrusion, your majesty," he said while moving from the doorway. "But you are requested by the princess to be at the king's side."

Though vague and uttered softly the prince knew that it was time. Logan nodded and quickly followed the soldier as he escorted him to his father's chambers. The walk was quick, quiet, and those that they had passed drew their eyes away. It was a sad day for them all as the greatest ruler Albion had ever seen was being called away from them for ever.

There was a vague thought as the two padded through the hallway. When it was to be the time of his own passing would there be so many who had grieved? Or would there be cheers of happiness? From the time of his childhood to the days of the present there were always these questions that had lingered. Walter would sometimes tell him that a king was shaped by his actions and though with good intent they would sometimes be wrong. Admittedly this had scared him but they were very real questions nonetheless. And perhaps that is why he had returned to troll hunting at the time of the news of his father's sickness, maybe he wasn't ready to finally get an answer to that question.

But then just like that they were there.

The guard departed swiftly leaving Logan to enter alone. He reached upward, twisted the handle slowly, and as he opened the door it was if he had opened the door to a forgotten realm. There was a stillness to the air that had reminded him of his mother's funeral many years back. Except that day the room had been filled with white roses and the poor openly weeped for what had been lost. Admittedly he preferred this nothingness but that didn't mean it felt strange. If anything it felt gut-wrenchingly surreal, almost as if it were a dream.

Regardless Logan had wandered in and from afar he could see his sister nestled upon the large bed. In her hand was their father's and though she appeared prim and proper he could tell that she was a mess. Logan had to resist the urge to reach outward and lose himself in the dark curls that had framed her swollen eyes. That would be for later when they both could grieve together.

The sound of the rain seemed louder here. Logan stood still as he watched his father, his lips in a hard line as he stared. He didn't wish to disturb this silence.

"They say there isn't much time left," he heard after a few moments of rain-induced quiet. "in a few moments our father will find peace with our mother."

"He deserves that much, sister. He had been suffering for a long time." Logan added softly as he watched his father breath shallowly. The king had been sick for a while now, the doctors unsure of the true cause, but with the months that had passed he had worsened gradually. The prince didn't like to see such a strong man so weak and had turned away. There was just something about seeing one's idol dying that could cause a very unsettling feeling of reality to worm it's way into one's heart. It made Logan twitch and resist the urge to walk away in this very instant.

"You would think that knowing it was coming would make it easier, that it would somehow prepare you." the princess spoke softly while standing upward and placing herself closer to the king by kneeling upon the floor at his side. Her dark eyes were careful not to look away, not even for a moment, and softly her free fingers grazed the dying king's cheek. "And yet it doesn't, not even close."

Logan was quiet and only watched. She rested her head upon the bed, her fingers tightly laced in her father's as he struggled to hold onto what little life he had left. It made Logan feel weak and in consequence forced himself to wander forward to be with them. That was the least he could do.

However there was a moment in which the sound of strained breaths came to a halt. The sound of the rain was louder than ever and for a moment the two siblings stared into the void. Before them the last hero slowly succumbed to his sickness leaving two children behind. There was a silence that lingered like a specter watching from afar. It made it's bitter presence known and Logan could feel his own breathing begin to slow.

The princess leaned forward into the bed to cover her tears while Logan only continued to stare. He reached outward and gently touched her hair in hopes of staying her sadness and though his kind actions were much welcome the prince felt like a statue. Many people had claimed him to be too serious for his own good, his sister often one of them whenever she teased him, but where she embraced her feelings and wept he turned and fled to the back corners of his mind. Sometimes he felt more like a coward struggling for air in a world made of water. Sometimes he hated being royalty and more than that he feared it.

And in this instant he had become to new ruler of Albion and had inherited all that his father left behind. Though he could feel chaos set in it's claws all he could think about was that mask that lay so tightly bound upon his desk. There was something about it that had spoken to him, something that called to him, and though cautious he needed more time with it. It made him feel almost safe whenever he let his thoughts return to it and it was almost alarming.

But for now he would just listen to his sister weep and feel the chill of the cold winter morning set in. His fingers brushed the dark of her hair away as he stood frozen in time. Soon he would find Walter to tell him of the news that Albion was now free to cry over the loss of their king.


	2. II

**II.** Coronation

"Before grace, subsistence. Before nobility, survival."

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><p>He kissed her lips, albeit almost too quick and a little too hungry. His fingers fumbled curiously along the exposed flesh of her hips and Logan tried his best to keep himself from shaking too much. Half the time he couldn't think too well when Ruth had been around as he was too busy trying to forget an undesirable feeling that welled itself deep into the dark core of his soul.<p>

But Ruth kissed him just as quickly, just as hungrily. She touched his own flesh with the same tremble and the two made the room swell with an intoxicating heat. He hadn't seen Ruth since before he had returned to his father and he had much needed her considering all that had happened during that short time span. Especially since Mina had been a little more hands on recently causing a dark rift to tear itself through him.

Ruth was a pretty thing, admittedly. Pale eyes the color of spring clouded beneath hair the shade of pure night. She had a delicate body full of honeyed curves that he had liked to expose with the tips of his jagged fingers. It had been two years since their first encounter but he still loved to explore them each time he had gotten the chance to. She was like a spring of clear water on a hot day and he thirsted terribly, although he dreamed that the water tasted sweeter if not entirely different.

But even now in secret on the day of his coronation he once again flayed her precious body before him. He liked to take her from behind most of the time, up against various places so her back was the only viewable thing. It was easier to get lost in the thought of who he was actually with when he had done so. Easier to forget that way too.

Still he held her in place, glued to his own body until he decided that they were finished. Sometimes he felt bad but that was apart of their agreement that they had made that first night: they were nothing more than outlets for desire, nothing more than two people that needed to let go sometimes. Gifts were nice but not required and quite frankly almost entirely unneeded. Sometimes they were nice though as they reminded each other what exactly they were.

But here and now as he hummed out his name he felt his soul begin to give way. This was the only time she had proved herself to be so quiet. Generally his dearest and most trusted Ruth was a nosy and loud girl who rarely knew the delight of quaint actions. Sometimes that would annoy him, a lot of the time it would almost amuse him, but the prince found it refreshing to be with someone so different. Perhaps that was why he took an interest in her the day she came to them so many years ago. With the brightly colored feathers of her arrows, an art so many had forgotten with the years passed, fastened between her brash ways and curt tongue it was almost undoubtedly so that the young Logan would look upon her quaintly. But of course, one couldn't tell for certain why he actually liked her.

Then just like that their meeting was over. He was finished with her and he no longer needed her aid. His body was tired and with what little energy he had left it was needed to get clean to prepare himself for his coronation. The man pulled away from her and laid down with closed eyes daring not to fall into darkness. It was quite early in the morning and he couldn't sleep one bit during the night for terrors stalked him like predators hunted prey.

They were thoughts that flooded his mind mostly that were followed by images that haunted him during the night as he slept. They had always been there, those dark depictions. Sometimes he dreamt of his mother surrounded by pretty white roses and sometimes of a small little bird that had cast a great shadow that made him cold. There were some dreams that were happy and others that filled him with dread. But recently it had become worse, specifically that of the woman and man both dressed in red speaking to him in a language that he could not understand. A lot of the time he was too tired to care and ignored them the best he could. It was the only way he would achieve at least an hours worth of rest.

"What, done already?" the prince heard as he felt warm hands curl around his arm. "And here I thought the fun was just beginning. You're a shitty lover, you know."

But as she grew uncomfortably closer he did in fact pull away and climbed to the side of the bed in order to put distance between themselves. Logan didn't like unwarranted touching and often times preferred much space between himself and those who spoke with him. There was a sound of disappointment that burbled from her pink lips and his eyes quickly caught a glance of the gray light pouring through the crystal window. He rested at the edge of the plush but dirty sheets as Ruth made designs in the soft white with her fingertips. "And you talk too much." he said in response almost too coldly. "Now if you will, I believe it's time for you to leave."

Ruth rose a brow as she stared up toward him. "You screw me and then want me to leave? Shitty is actually a polite term for you, now that I think about it."

Logan furrowed his brows together then and gave a curt nod as he processed her words fully. "We both have our duties," he replied as his fingers laced through the dark wisps of his hair. "you should go and return to your own before someone questions where you are. Unless you want this to be our last time together?"

Ruth gave her own scowl as she sat upward on the bed and watched as her lover kept to the edge, his back facing her. There were scars that lined the pale flesh and some were deep while others were light and faded. Sometimes she would touch them and sometimes she would only stare. Logan was a curious creature of many walls though. He rarely ever let anyone in and even rarer yet let them stay.

"Well fine then," the girl said with a heavy tone while lifting herself from the bed, her green eyes forcing themselves elsewhere in order to ignore him. "I'll leave his Majesty as he wishes so. It was fun, I suppose."

Logan shifted slightly and watched her momentarily over his shoulder. His pretty-eyed companion got up and turned to collect her many items that had been torn from her. They were scattered about from the careless encounter and she danced around the room as she had gathered them. She may have been a loud thing but she was a beautiful one and for a second he watched her. The prince did like the way her back dipped ever so sweetly.

"Before you go, there is something I would like to give you." These words made her pause and turn to him as he quickly reached downward to grab some clothes to cover himself with before standing upward. Ruth watched curiously as he wandered towards his desk and grabbed what had appeared to be a small thing. He stopped however, something clearly caught his attention as he had done so, and though brief it was obviously something important. She had seen that look before but dared not to speak of it.

"Here." was all that the prince had said as he walked toward her, quickly grabbing her hand in his and placed a small ring in her grasp. It was cold and it made her fingers twitch but moments after holding onto it it had warmed to her touch. It was smooth and made of pure gold.

"I thought this was a no gift relationship? Unless of course this is your way of saying "hey thanks for the romp, let's do it again sometime" or?" In spite of her curious if not icy jests the archer was in fact quite pleased with what had just been given to her. Logan so rarely gave her things and when he did they were often small, unassuming items like ribbons or bow strings that it was hardly worth getting worked up over. But upon closer inspection there was something engraved on the inner side of it and though curious she withheld herself from taking too long to read it. She could read it any time she had wanted but only see Logan in such a way once.

"Hardly, it's just a gift. Must it mean something more than that?" the prince replied as he took a quick step back. Her naked flesh before him made him wonder vaguely about some things but kept the trailings of his mind under tight wraps. He couldn't really afford such thoughts at this moment and quite frankly wished to see her reaction a little longer before he had gotten too lost.

"Generally gifts do mean something, yes, but fair enough. If you don't want to tell me then good on you for keeping up your oh so secretive walls." her spring eyes lightened as she gave him a smile, pearled and polished wonderfully. No longer angry or upset over the fact she was being kicked out Ruth had quickly put on her new accessory and continued to collect her articles of clothing. In consequence Logan decided that perhaps it was time to get ready as well and headed for the wash bowl. The water was cold just how he liked it and the with the chilly liquid that trickled down his face the prince began to feel more awake. The terrible dreams and dark feelings seemed far away now and he felt human. His body hovered over the porcelain bowl as he listened to his companion gather the last of her clothes. It grew increasingly cold and he shivered.

Then she said a quick farewell before peering out the door in order to make a quick exit. Soon enough these rituals would be harder to execute as the king would always need a guard stationed outside of his chambers. She was lucky this time though, perhaps the last of her luck saw itself through before the real games would begin. Either way she closed the door behind her and padded quietly down the hall leaving a silent Logan behind. His hands reached for the plush cloth at his side and softly he dried his face.

Had it always been this quiet in the room?

After a moment his eyes drew themselves toward the desk and he looked toward what had lay beneath the paper. Not that it was going anywhere, of course. Since his father's death exactly one week ago it had sat there and for a time Logan was capable of merely forgetting it. Shamefully only because his attention was needed elsewhere but he managed. But now he was alone with it and even now he couldn't help but want to see it again. It lay there invitingly so and it dared him to come closer, and he did.

His fingers moved the papers away and with a tender touch removed the royal colored cloth from the delicate thing so he could see it better. It was painted with a deep shade of red and garnished with a beautiful gold paint that made him feel relaxed. It had appeared heavy but from past explorations it was, in fact, not so as it had appeared. It was curiously light which made it all the more interesting to investigate and here as he stood looking down upon it he wondered what it was like to put it on. It was old though and he didn't wish to touch it too often just in case.

However the prince shook his head and moved away from the table in order to turn to the great dressing area tucked away in the corner of the room. Before him polished steel sat upon a mannequin and glinted what light came through the windows. It stung his eyes slightly but he looked to it anyway making sure to keep a close eye to the detail upon the thing. The purple was a nice touch, admittedly.

Quickly he dressed in the soft fabric of the under armor and though it felt soft it suffocated him. It was too tight around the neck area which in direct consequence forced Logan to tug at it almost like a child tugged at too fancy of a bow. He felt collared almost, like he was being shackled like a prisoner, and he hadn't even put on the heaviest part of it just yet. He was beginning to feel a sort of dread in the entire thing.

Then suddenly there was a knock at the door followed by a soft voice. The prince frowned slightly and called to them to come in. There was the sound of the door creaking followed by a pair of dark eyes catching his own making him blink away the sight of the armor. Logan's frown only deepened as his sister filled the room with her presence that was garbed in near gossamer white while shutting the door behind her. The clothes upon his own body only felt tighter as he let his eyes linger a little too long. She had been wearing mourning black the whole time since their father's passing and it was nice to see her in something else.

"Seeing guests, are you?" she had asked softly while coming in quite close. "I saw our cousin sneak out of here earlier and she looked a little bit like the cat that ate the canary. If I had known I would have come sooner to have given you my own good luck wishes."

Logan turned away from Mina and set his eyes somewhere else as the thought of that girl once again came back to mind. "Ruth always looks like that. Is that surprising?"

But Mina gave a light hum while looking away herself. She quickly noticed the steel still upon the mannequin and found her hands quickly reaching out for it. The girl liked the feeling of the smooth cold steel beneath her fingertips and even better yet liked the way it glinted against the light. It made her feel strong and it wasn't even hers.

"I suppose not. But come here and let me help you." she said while lifting the last of his suit up and walking towards him with it in hand. Logan stiffened as she went behind him and began to dress him in his kingly shell. The princess' fingers were quick with the lace at his side but the longer she lingered the longer he felt sick. Perhaps more of the cold water was needed, maybe.

"I can do this, I'm not a child." Logan said while quickly pulling away in order to lace himself up. Mina stared at him with a bit of question but let him do as he wished. Ever since he had returned from his hunting trip he had grown increasingly irritable. The princess had blamed it on the death of their father but she could only let that be the cause for so long. She felt worried for him but said nothing.

"Well, child or not, are you ready to inherit an entire country? They're waiting for you, you know. I figured I'd see you one last time as my brother before you became king." She gave him a light smile in spite of the lingering questions and in return he gave a light sigh. He wasn't ready to be king, wasn't ready to face what had been expected of him. If anything he just wanted to go outside and stay out there. At least that way he wouldn't have felt so suffocated by everything in this castle.

"I'll still be your brother. It's not like a crown will change that fact." the words made his heart quiver as the prince turned fully to stare at the dark-eyed woman. He noticed that her eyes had been slightly red and though she wore her best smile it was clear that her heart still mourned. He had suspected that everyone still felt that way though. There may have been a new monarch impending but that didn't mean they could let go so quickly. That was like forcing summer when clearly spring still lingered.

But unconsciously he reached out to her and touched her cheek with the back of his hand. He let his fingers linger near the edge of her eyes and in return the princess stilled. Another warm smile ebbed at the corner of her lips but he noticed a faint flicker glow behind the darkness of her eyes.

"I know," Mina said softly as she then grabbed his hand in hers and giving it a light squeeze while lowering them. "and I will always be your sister."

In this moment Logan had wished to kiss her. Not like how he had kissed Ruth with that painful ache of hunger but in a way that was both long and full of the feeling that burned his heart. He wanted to take her, hold her close, and make her his with all that he could spare and then some. But unfortunately he could not and would never. Instead he wrestled with himself and felt a dark scowl crease his brow in consequence.

Suddenly another knock interrupted the siblings moment causing both to let go of one another's hands and pull away. The door once again creaked open and revealed a guard who stood to attention as both young royals greeted him with a light nod. Mina gave him a smile as well in hopes of making him feel a little more welcome in their presence considering he trembled slightly.

"Forgive the interruption, your Majesty, but when you are ready the coronation may begin."

Logan had gotten ready to reply but had been quickly stopped by his sister who spoke for him. "Then lead us, we are ready to attend the crowning of the new king."

Quickly the princess' arm had snaked around the prince's and pulled him close in the process. Logan may have been taller but she was by far the stronger of the two with a grip so tight. When they were children she would often times drag him places which would cause dark bruises to form on his limbs. He was actually fairly thankful when Walter had decided to start training her that way she had something else to throw around.

Regardless the two walked forward and headed to the throne room. As they walked down the hall toward the great chamber they were greeted by the many who were permitted into the castle. Though they were happy to see their new king they were still somber for the loss of their last monarch was still too fresh to forget. Mina smiled at them and some had nodded in attention. Then they were thrown to the wolves as they came into the attention of those who made up the nobility.

"You will be a great king," Mina had whispered softly as she escorted him down the long path. "And whatever you do, whatever it is that you decided, I will be there for you."

Logan didn't say a word and simply let the words sink in. In all honesty he felt almost relieved and felt stronger because of it. Mina may have been unaware of it but she held a power over him that could not be described. It was almost embarrassing but he decided not to think too much about that. Instead he concentrated on making sure his feet kept working.

Then they had arrived and quickly she let go of him to find her place. He turned to face the crowd with both Walter and Mina at his side and staring into the void of faces he quickly picked out Ruth's. She gave him a light smile and the prince felt his hands grow cold. In this moment he was to be king, to fill his father's shoes like it was expected of him. Walter spoke but he ignored it and let his mind go elsewhere to somewhere more calming. And in that void of darkness he pictured it clearly: the mask made him feel better.

And later that night we would allow himself to see it once more and to begin his research into it.


End file.
